Weapons firm's London offices protested by pro-Palestinian group for supplying arms to Israel

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Pro-Palestinian demonstrators on Thursday protested outside the London offices of a firm supplying weapons to Israel.

Leonardo, an Italian weapons firm with a presence in Britain, faced protesters from the group Palestine Action criticizing it for being a "supplier of weaponry for Israel’s fighter jets," and also chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, including "cease-fire now," and "no more dying."

One of them climbed to the awning of the office building while others put up a banner saying: "Palestine will never die."

The group also painted slogans in red paint on the offices, including ‘Free Palestine” and “Terrorists.”

"Leonardo supplies Israel with Apache Helicopters and parts for their F-35 fighter jets, used to bombard Gaza. Today, we’re shutting them down in London," the group said on X.

There is a police presence at the scene, where the protest is still continuing as of 1100GMT.

On its website, Palestine Action describes itself as “the direct action network dismantling British complicity with Israeli apartheid.”

This week the Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 10,600 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 9,061 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the Israeli siege.